If the Medication ‘Stopped Working,’ Maybe the Patient Stopped Taking It. Guess Why

Urgent care providers don’t necessarily have the benefit of a rich history with the patients they treat. So, it may be puzzling when a patient with too-high blood pressure lists an antihypertensive among their medications. Is it the wrong medication, the wrong prescription, is the patient just not “on it?” Data from the National Center for Health Statistics suggest there’s another possible explanation you should ask the patient about: cost. The NCHS says in 2021 more than 9 million U.S. adults (18 to 64 years of age) did not take medications they were prescribed because they just couldn’t afford them. That’s 8.2% of Americans in that age group who reported had taken prescription drugs in the 12 months before the survey. Some took less of the medications they were prescribed to stretch them, while others skipped doses altogether. The next time you have a patient whose self-reported medication history doesn’t jibe with your findings, ask them about compliance—and whether they’re having trouble paying for the drugs they need.